Young musicians from around the world gather for the York Early Music Festival Young Artists Competition

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Wednesday 13 July at 6.00pm
The Mansion House
St Helen's Square, York YO1 9QL

Some of the world's finest young musicians from 13 different countries are gathering in York this week for the prestigious biennial York Early Music International Young Artists Competition, which is organised by the National Centre for Early Music as part of the 2011 York Early Music Festival.

The young musicians will be welcomed to the city by the Right Honourable the Lord Mayor of York, Cllr David Horton and the Lady Mayoress Mrs Jane Horton at a special reception at The Mansion House, York on Wednesday 13 July.

The Competition, which starts on Thursday 14 July and culminates on Saturday 16 July, will see 10 talented young ensembles: Le Petit Concert Baroque (France); Quadro Melante (Croatia, Malaysia, Australia and Iran); Sebastian Chamber Players (USA); Borromini String Quartet (UK); Profeti della Quinta (Israel, Switzerland); Den Haag Piano Quintet (Japan, The Netherlands); Habsburger Camerata (UK, USA, Canada); Encantar (Belgium); Les Ombres (France) and L'Istante (Switzerland), take part in a series of informal concerts mentored by the renowned Australian Baroque Violinist, Elizabeth Wallfisch on Thursday 14 and Friday 15 July.
On Saturday 16 July all 10 ensembles will give their final recital, which will be recorded by BBC Radio 3, in front of the panel of judges comprising: Elizabeth Kenny lutenist; Vivien Ellis, singer; Neal Peres Da Costa, harpsichordist; Philip Hobbs, Linn Records; Christophe Mangé, Director of Printemps des Arts de Nantes and Xavier Vandamme, Director of the Utrecht Early Music Festival.

The winning ensemble will receive a cheque for £1,000 alongside a series of opportunities to work with the National Centre for Early Music and a prestigious recording contract with the award-winning Linn Records. Highlights of the York Early Music International Young Artists Competition, and music from the winner's recital, will be broadcast on BBC Radio 3's Early Music Show on Sunday 25 September at 1.00pm.

Delma Tomlin, Director of the National Centre for Early Music said: "We were delighted by the unprecedented number and standard of applicants for this year's Competition and are looking forward to what promises to be a fantastic three days of music-making in the nurturing and encouraging environment which our audiences at the NCEM are renowned for creating."

The Competition is supported by the National Centre for Early Music, BBC Radio 3 and Arts Council England, Yorkshire.

York Early Music Festival is supported by the Arts Council England, Yorkshire, Media partner BBC Radio 3, the National Centre for Early Music, Tourism partners Welcome to Yorkshire, the City of York Council and members of the York Hoteliers Association.